Anyone who has ever wondered why the ancient Greeks and Romans flocked to the theatre or where modern theatre comes from should take themselves immediately to see Hercules Insane by the Roman author Seneca. Christopher Johnson, the translator and director, introduces the performance with a brilliant and mesmerizing curtain speech. Likewise, anyone interested in the women's movement will treasure the critique of Zeus's philandering ways by none other than Juno, queen of the gods, whose fury is unforgettably presented by the outstanding actor Dawn Alden! And pity poor, tragic Hercules portrayed wonderfully by Jason Britt, who becomes the unwitting instrument of Juno's rage by destroying his own family. The folly of his machismo and that of...
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Even with 380 options, how often do you leave a HFF show saying "I've NEVER seen anything like THAT before!" THIS is THAT show! I wasn't sure what I was buying but it turned out to be Grand Opera, without the Music: a centuries-old play by Seneca, the Roman, revived in its original style with Choreography, plenty of Fight Choreography and a robust cast of full-throated theatrical voices! What a treat!
After a speedy (and essential!) introduction to the style (by Translator/Director Christopher Johnson? he didn't say!) an intermissionless 75 minutes covers a tragedy of truly EPIC proportions, with recognizable links to later classics and their creators. Will word of mouth generate ticket sales? I wonder. Those who do go, though, are in fo...
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Well-crafted, brilliantly staged, elegantly performed, gorgeously designed adaptation of the classic, Hercules Furens. I absolutely LOVED this play. It was late (and maybe, MAYBE I'd had a few drinks) and I was worried the density of the language would wear my brain out, but I was utterly swept away by this majestic piece of art. ...
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One of the added treats to this staging is director Johnson’s preshow spiel in which he lays out the early history of theatre and Seneca’s contributions to it. That was worth the price of admission in and of itself.
A Platinum Medal...
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As an actor, and with the requisite vanity which that calling demands, I sometimes forget that all of theatre history did not begin with my very first portrayal of Ratso Rizzo in a Wednesday night acting class at the old Hollywood Court Theatre. Then lo and behold School of Night comes along with another top-to-bottom incredible production in the classic Roman style, authentic down to the masks and claves, with an original translation of Lucias Annaeus Seneca’s Hercules Insane. Bold, confident, and magnetic performances abound as a furious and wiry Hercules (Jason Britt) is forced to conquer man and beast, the result of a spell put upon him by a vengeful Juno. School of Night, director Christopher Johnson and fight choreographer Jen Albert, ...
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